Process of curing hides.



P. P. JAMES.

PROCESS OF CURING HIDES. APPLICATION FILED OUT. 7, 1910.

1,025,401 Patented Ma 7, 1912.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK 1?. JAMES, OF NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRIC MEAT CURING- COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

PROCESS OF CURING HIDES.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK P. JAMES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashville, in the county of Davidson and State of Tennessee, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Processes of Curing Hides, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawlngs.

In the treatment of the hides preparatory to tanning, it has heretofore been customary, after the hide is removed from the animal, to spread itout horizontally and cover it with salt and allow it to stand for several weeks before it is placed in the tanning vat. This curing operation is necessarily slow, is irregular in its action, some portions of the hide being cured much better than other portions, and a large amount of the blood is left in the hide, which, when the hide is finally converted into leather, is liable to cause it to rot in places. The old process has the further disadvantage of being deleterious to the health of those handling the hides, resulting from decaying matter thereon. It has been productive of very disagreeable odors, and is characterized generally by want of cleanliness.

I have discovered that if the fresh hide is immersed in brine, and a current of electricity passed through the brine and hide, the hide may be perfectly and evenly cured in an extremely short space of time. The action of the electricity extracts the blood from the hide while retaining the gelatin therein, thus producing a better product. The operation is cleanly, and is carried on without the production of odors, and moreover, the hide, after being cured, is thereby deodorized.

In accomplishing this object I first prefer to wash the hides, either in running water or a large quantity of water, to remove the surface blood and accumulations, and I then place the hides, suitably separated from each other, in a tank containing brine, and I pass through such brine, and hence through the hides, a current of electricity. I prefer to use alternating current for this purpose, as it avoids the production of chlorin gas, resulting from electrolysis. A direct current may, however, be used, if desired. I may hold the hides in the tank by Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 7, 1910.

Patented May '7, 1912.

Serial No. 585,776.

means of suitable racks or frames, or they may be secured in other manner, as desired.

The strength of the current, the degree of saturation of the brine and the duration of curing will be varied according to circumstances. W'ithout confining myself to the proportions mentioned, I may say that I have obtained satisfactory results by using a current having a strength of about five amperes per square foot of cross section of tank contents, a brine of complete saturation, and maintaining the curing for about six hours.

As a consequence of the even curing which my process gives, and the complete extraction of the blood and the retention of the gelatin of the hide, the leather which is eventually produced from the hide has perfect evenness of tanning and the maximum of strength, toughness, flexibility and durability.

The drawings show an apparatus which may be used for carrying out my invention.

Figure 1 is a vertical, longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 a cross section, through the apparatus.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the tank, B the electrodes therein, 0 conductors leading therefrom to the generator.

E represents racks, F cleats on the sides of the tank forming guideways which the racks are adapted to occupy, G bars for holding the racks and hides down in the brine. racks may consist each of two slatted leaves hinged together by hinges e. ith such form of rack, the hide may be placed on one leaf and the other leaf folded over onto it and the closed rack, with its hide, placed vertically in the tank in the guideways therein. Then the holding bars G may be put in place with their ends beneath cleats J in the ends of the tank. WVhen the brine is in the tank, the racks, tending to float, will abut the under sides of the holding bars.

Though I have described above an apparatus for carrying out the invention and have shown the same in the drawing, it is to be understood that I do not confine myself to any particular apparatus.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The pr cess of gi g a preliminary The hides are designated H. The

preserving treatment to hides before tanning'thereof, consisting in Washing them to remove the surface accumulations, then i1ninersing them ina solution of sodium chlorid Without tanning substances, and passing an electric current through the solution and hides. .1

2. The process of curing hides preceding the tanning-thereof consisting of submerging the uncured hides in a solution of sodium chlorid and passing an electric current through such solution and hides.

- 3. The process ofcuring fresh hides preceding the tanning thereof"consisting of placing the hides'separated from each other in asolution of sodium chlorid, passing 'an electric current transversely of the "hides through them and through the solution.

4; The process ofcuring fresh hidespreceding the tanning thereof consisting of placing the hides in a tank containing a solutionv of sodium chlorid, holding them spread out and separated from each other, and passing an electric current through them and through the solution.

The process of curing hides consisting of washing them to remove the surface accumulations, then immersing them in a solution of sodium chlorid, and passing an electric current through the solution and hides.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aliix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. i FRANK P. JAMES.

\Vitnesses ALBERT H. BATES, BRENNAN B. VVns'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

' i Washington, D. G. 

